Anna Hazare gets hero's welcome on return to native village
PTI | Sep 1, 2011, 11.59AM IST
RALEGAN SIDDHI: Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare was accorded a hero's welcome when he arrived at his village here in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district with supporters staying awake till late in the night to receive him.
After landing in Pune last night, Hazare was straightway driven to the village and reached there at around 1.30 AM, sources said.
Upbeat villagers stayed awake till late in the night to welcome the 74-year-old Gandhian, who is likely to participate in the ten-day Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, they said.
The anti-graft crusader, who was admitted to a Gurgaon-based hospital on Sunday after he broke his 12-day fast for stronger Lokpal Bill, was discharged last evening.
Hazare is credited with initiating the concept of "one village, one Ganpati" a few years ago.
Hazare's personal assistant Suresh Pathare had said yesterday that the activist would be taking rest tomorrow and would address villagers on Friday.
"We have arranged for a 'mahasabha' tomorrow, we have informed him about that. He will not come out today and we will not request either. So, all the programmes will take place tomorrow now," a villager said.
Hazare's associate Shyam Asawa had said that the Gandhian had spoken to villagers over phone and asked them not to arrange any lavish reception for him.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Hazare movement might become a case study for XLRI-Sep 1, 2011
Hazare movement might become a case study for XLRI
PTI | Sep 1, 2011, 12.50PM IST
JAMSHEDPUR: Gandhian Anna Hazare's success with his anti-corruption movement might soon become a case study for management students at the famed XLRI School of Business and Human Resources.
"The movement is fit as case study for budding management students here and we are seriously contemplating to look into various aspects of the movements, particularly Hazare's leadership," said Prof Munish Thakur of XLRI.
It is likely that the case study will be taught to students within the next three to four months, he said.
Describing Hazare and his team's moral authority, conviction and action as the reason for the grand success of the movement, Thakur said the team members have thorough knowledge about the topics they took up and chalked out strategy in a meticulous manner.
Comparing Yoga guru Baba Ramdev's agitation at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, he said the movement lacked strategy and leadership.
"The Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare's movement are classic examples before the prospective business students to learn," he said.
Asked whether the movement would set an example for leaders who might follow the same path to mount pressure on the government for petty issues, Thakur said Hazare and his team raised a genuine issue of corruption and proved that the people have the right to express their views on framing laws in the country.
PTI | Sep 1, 2011, 12.50PM IST
JAMSHEDPUR: Gandhian Anna Hazare's success with his anti-corruption movement might soon become a case study for management students at the famed XLRI School of Business and Human Resources.
"The movement is fit as case study for budding management students here and we are seriously contemplating to look into various aspects of the movements, particularly Hazare's leadership," said Prof Munish Thakur of XLRI.
It is likely that the case study will be taught to students within the next three to four months, he said.
Describing Hazare and his team's moral authority, conviction and action as the reason for the grand success of the movement, Thakur said the team members have thorough knowledge about the topics they took up and chalked out strategy in a meticulous manner.
Comparing Yoga guru Baba Ramdev's agitation at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, he said the movement lacked strategy and leadership.
"The Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare's movement are classic examples before the prospective business students to learn," he said.
Asked whether the movement would set an example for leaders who might follow the same path to mount pressure on the government for petty issues, Thakur said Hazare and his team raised a genuine issue of corruption and proved that the people have the right to express their views on framing laws in the country.
Criminalisation of politics: how serious is the problem?31 August 2011
Criminalisation of politics: how serious is the problem?
Babita Basu
31 August 2011, 05:29 PM IST
Inappropriate? Rude? Uncalled for? Perhaps yes. At least, most of us wouldn’t do that – and I mean using the words or the gestures that Ms Bedi and Mr Puri did, while describing the shenanigans of some Indian politicians. But how real are some of their concerns?
Let’s go beyond those words and gestures look at the concerns that the fine actor and the former supercop possibly had on their minds – the big picture or the profile of the typical Indian Parliamentarian. It made some of us stop right there, in our tracks, and ask ourselves, how well-educated are our people’s representatives? (And I mean formal education here - not that it matters much, though.) How bad are their criminal records? And thereby hangs a tale – or some facts, perhaps – those that merit a closer look. Let’s look at the statistics of MPs in the current (15th Lok Sabha):
Here’s a lowdown on the educational profiles of the MPs of the 15th Lok Sabha.
* Literate: 4
* 5th Pass: 9
* 8th Pass: 9
* 10th Pass: 45
* 12th Pass: 50
* Graduate: 147
* Graduate Professional: 106
* Post Graduate: 130
* Doctorate: 20
* Others: 8
* Not Given: 15
(Total 543)
Source: Analysis of Criminal & Financial Details of MPs Of 15th Lok Sabha (2009) Interim Report by the NATIONAL ELECTION WATCH & ASSOCIATION FOR DEMOCRATIC REFORM, website www.adrindia.org
And here’s a summary of criminal cases faced by the MPs of the 15th Lok Sabha:
“There are 158 newly elected MPs with criminal cases pending against them. Out of these, there are 74 MPs having serious charges against them. Here is the high level summary of the new Lok Sabha:
• Affidavits available for MPs - 543
• MPs with criminal charges - 161 (29.65 %)
• MPs with serious criminal charges - 75 (13.81 %)
• Total criminal cases against MPs - 512
• Total serious IPC sections against MPs - 272
• Total crorepati MPs – 314
As compared to 2004, the number of MPs with pending criminal charges has gone up. There were 128 MPs with pending criminal cases against them in 2004 Lok Sabha out of which 55 had serious criminal charges. There is an increase of about 25.78% in MPs with criminal charges and 36.36% increase in the number of MPs with serious criminal charges. There however is a decrease of 9.93% in the number of serious criminal charges on these MPs.”
Source: Analysis of Criminal & Financial Details of MPs Of 15th Lok Sabha (2009) Interim Report by the NATIONAL ELECTION WATCH & ASSOCIATION FOR DEMOCRATIC REFORM, website www.adrindia.org
Let’s refer to an old article in The Indian Express by noted economist Bibek Debroy published on July 11 2008, titled “Profile of an Indian MP”.
“Every country gets the government it deserves,” he writes, quoting Joseph Marie De Maistre. “While lambasting politicians, let’s remember Legislatures are elected”, he adds. But also makes the point that sensible choices emerge from well-informed minds.
And in the same context, he refers to the report by the Public Affairs Centre (PAC), Bangalore, on the 14th Lok Sabha, where almost 75% MPs were equipped with graduate or post-graduate degrees, many of them with law degrees, while non-matriculate MPs only added up to a meagre 6%.
“…the average MP is worth Rs 1.64 crore. But the average non-SC/ST MP is worth Rs 2 crore. These assets are mostly houses and agricultural land and the more educated an MP, the lower the asset value,” writes Debroy, quoting the report.
“…a large number of MPs have criminal cases pending against them, reflecting criminalisation of politics, or perhaps more accurately, politicisation of criminals. The uneducated have more criminal cases against them, as do those who are in the 36-45 age group”, writes Debroy. “It is fashionable to deride politicisation of criminals, especially when correlations (which don’t necessarily indicate causation) suggest that to be successfully elected as an MP, one should have criminal connections and money, with education perhaps a disadvantage”, he adds. And agrees that some candidates are “accused and not convicted because of warts in the criminal justice system”, he writes. These comments are relevant in any discussion about the criminal charges faced by our sitting Lok Sabha members.
Well! More interesting facts emerge from ADR’s report on the profile of the MPs of the 15th Lok Sabha – out of the total number of constituencies in each state, Uttar Pradesh has elected 38.75% MPs with pending criminal charges, Jharkhand elected 57.14%, Maharashtra 54.17%, Bihar 45% and Gujarat 42.31%. The sole Lok Sabha representatives elected respectively by Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Andaman and Nicobar Islands faced criminal charges.
A slightly better picture emerges when we learn that the “Comparison of top 10 MPs with criminal charges in 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha Elections clearly indicates that number of candidates with very serious criminal backgrounds has declined. For the top 10 MPs with most serious criminal charges, the total number of cases decreased by 42%, count of serious IPC charges reduced by 32% with a 55% fall in murder charges.”
(Source: Analysis of Criminal & Financial Details of MPs Of 15th Lok Sabha (2009) Interim Report by the NATIONAL ELECTION WATCH & ASSOCIATION FOR DEMOCRATIC REFORM, website www.adrindia.org)
As for the financial profiles of MPs, the number of crorepatis have increased from 154 in the 14th Lok Sabha to 314 in the current Lok Sabha, showing an increase of 103.9%. Our country is on the fastest track to prosperity, I am sure!
Babita Basu
31 August 2011, 05:29 PM IST
Inappropriate? Rude? Uncalled for? Perhaps yes. At least, most of us wouldn’t do that – and I mean using the words or the gestures that Ms Bedi and Mr Puri did, while describing the shenanigans of some Indian politicians. But how real are some of their concerns?
Let’s go beyond those words and gestures look at the concerns that the fine actor and the former supercop possibly had on their minds – the big picture or the profile of the typical Indian Parliamentarian. It made some of us stop right there, in our tracks, and ask ourselves, how well-educated are our people’s representatives? (And I mean formal education here - not that it matters much, though.) How bad are their criminal records? And thereby hangs a tale – or some facts, perhaps – those that merit a closer look. Let’s look at the statistics of MPs in the current (15th Lok Sabha):
Here’s a lowdown on the educational profiles of the MPs of the 15th Lok Sabha.
* Literate: 4
* 5th Pass: 9
* 8th Pass: 9
* 10th Pass: 45
* 12th Pass: 50
* Graduate: 147
* Graduate Professional: 106
* Post Graduate: 130
* Doctorate: 20
* Others: 8
* Not Given: 15
(Total 543)
Source: Analysis of Criminal & Financial Details of MPs Of 15th Lok Sabha (2009) Interim Report by the NATIONAL ELECTION WATCH & ASSOCIATION FOR DEMOCRATIC REFORM, website www.adrindia.org
And here’s a summary of criminal cases faced by the MPs of the 15th Lok Sabha:
“There are 158 newly elected MPs with criminal cases pending against them. Out of these, there are 74 MPs having serious charges against them. Here is the high level summary of the new Lok Sabha:
• Affidavits available for MPs - 543
• MPs with criminal charges - 161 (29.65 %)
• MPs with serious criminal charges - 75 (13.81 %)
• Total criminal cases against MPs - 512
• Total serious IPC sections against MPs - 272
• Total crorepati MPs – 314
As compared to 2004, the number of MPs with pending criminal charges has gone up. There were 128 MPs with pending criminal cases against them in 2004 Lok Sabha out of which 55 had serious criminal charges. There is an increase of about 25.78% in MPs with criminal charges and 36.36% increase in the number of MPs with serious criminal charges. There however is a decrease of 9.93% in the number of serious criminal charges on these MPs.”
Source: Analysis of Criminal & Financial Details of MPs Of 15th Lok Sabha (2009) Interim Report by the NATIONAL ELECTION WATCH & ASSOCIATION FOR DEMOCRATIC REFORM, website www.adrindia.org
Let’s refer to an old article in The Indian Express by noted economist Bibek Debroy published on July 11 2008, titled “Profile of an Indian MP”.
“Every country gets the government it deserves,” he writes, quoting Joseph Marie De Maistre. “While lambasting politicians, let’s remember Legislatures are elected”, he adds. But also makes the point that sensible choices emerge from well-informed minds.
And in the same context, he refers to the report by the Public Affairs Centre (PAC), Bangalore, on the 14th Lok Sabha, where almost 75% MPs were equipped with graduate or post-graduate degrees, many of them with law degrees, while non-matriculate MPs only added up to a meagre 6%.
“…the average MP is worth Rs 1.64 crore. But the average non-SC/ST MP is worth Rs 2 crore. These assets are mostly houses and agricultural land and the more educated an MP, the lower the asset value,” writes Debroy, quoting the report.
“…a large number of MPs have criminal cases pending against them, reflecting criminalisation of politics, or perhaps more accurately, politicisation of criminals. The uneducated have more criminal cases against them, as do those who are in the 36-45 age group”, writes Debroy. “It is fashionable to deride politicisation of criminals, especially when correlations (which don’t necessarily indicate causation) suggest that to be successfully elected as an MP, one should have criminal connections and money, with education perhaps a disadvantage”, he adds. And agrees that some candidates are “accused and not convicted because of warts in the criminal justice system”, he writes. These comments are relevant in any discussion about the criminal charges faced by our sitting Lok Sabha members.
Well! More interesting facts emerge from ADR’s report on the profile of the MPs of the 15th Lok Sabha – out of the total number of constituencies in each state, Uttar Pradesh has elected 38.75% MPs with pending criminal charges, Jharkhand elected 57.14%, Maharashtra 54.17%, Bihar 45% and Gujarat 42.31%. The sole Lok Sabha representatives elected respectively by Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Andaman and Nicobar Islands faced criminal charges.
A slightly better picture emerges when we learn that the “Comparison of top 10 MPs with criminal charges in 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha Elections clearly indicates that number of candidates with very serious criminal backgrounds has declined. For the top 10 MPs with most serious criminal charges, the total number of cases decreased by 42%, count of serious IPC charges reduced by 32% with a 55% fall in murder charges.”
(Source: Analysis of Criminal & Financial Details of MPs Of 15th Lok Sabha (2009) Interim Report by the NATIONAL ELECTION WATCH & ASSOCIATION FOR DEMOCRATIC REFORM, website www.adrindia.org)
As for the financial profiles of MPs, the number of crorepatis have increased from 154 in the 14th Lok Sabha to 314 in the current Lok Sabha, showing an increase of 103.9%. Our country is on the fastest track to prosperity, I am sure!
अण्णा, यानी व्यवस्था के शस्त्रागार का एक नया हथियार-August 31, 2011(One more point of view..VT)
अण्णा, यानी व्यवस्था के शस्त्रागार का एक नया हथियार
by Dilip Mandal on Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 1:12pm
समकालीन तीसरी दुनिया / अगस्त- सितम्बर 2011 का संपादकीय
आनंद स्वरूप वर्मा
जो लोग यह मानते रहे हैं और लोगों को बताते रहे हैं कि पूंजीवादी और साम्राज्यवादी लूट पर टिकी यह व्यवस्था सड़ गल चुकी है और इसे नष्ट किये बिना आम आदमी की बेहतरी संभव नहीं है उनके बरक्स अण्णा हजारे ने एक हद तक सफलतापूर्वक यह दिखाने की कोशिश की कि यह व्यवस्था ही आम आदमी को बदहाली से बचा सकती है बशर्ते इसमें कुछ सुधार कर दिया जाय। व्यवस्था के जनविरोधी चरित्र से जिन लोगों का मोहभंग हो रहा था उस पर अण्णा ने एक ब्रेक लगाया है। अण्णा ने सत्ताधारी वर्ग के लिए आक्सीजन का काम किया है और उस आक्सीजन सिलेंडर को ढोने के लिए उन्हीं लोगों के कंधों का इस्तेमाल किया है जो सत्ताधारी वर्ग के शोषण के शिकार हैं। उन्हें नहीं पता है कि वे उसी निजाम को बचाने की कवायद में तन-मन-धन से जुट गये जिसने उनकी जिंदगी को बदहाल किया। देश के विभिन्न हिस्सों में चल रहे जुझारू संघर्षों की ताप से झुलस रहे सत्ताधारियों को अण्णा ने बहुत बड़ी राहत पहुंचाई है। शासन की बागडोर किसके हाथ में हो इस मुद्दे पर सत्ताधारी वर्ग के विभिन्न गुटों के बीच चलती खींचतान से आम जनता का भ्रमित होना स्वाभाविक है पर जहां तक इस वर्ग के उद्धारक की साख बनाये रखने की बात है, विभिन्न गुटों के बीच अद्भुत एकता है। यह एकता 27 अगस्त को छुट्टी के दिन लोकसभा की विशेष बैठक में देखने को मिली जब कांग्रेस के प्रणव मुखर्जी और भाजपा की सुषमा स्वराज दोनों के सुर एक हो गये और उससे जो संगीत उपजा उसने रामलीला मैदान में एक नयी लहर पैदा कर दी। सदन में शरद यादव के भाषण से सबक लेते हुए अगले दिन अपना अनशन समाप्त करते समय अण्णा ने बाबा साहेब आंबेडकर को तो याद ही किया, अनशन तोड़ते समय जूस पिलाने के लिए दलित वर्ग और मुस्लिम समुदाय से दो बच्चों को चुना।
अण्णा हजारे का 13 दिनों का यह आंदोलन भारत के इतिहास की एक अभूतपूर्व और युगांतरकारी घटना के रूप में रेखांकित किया जाएगा। इसलिए नहीं कि उसमें लाखों लोगों की भागीदारी रही या टीवी चैनलों ने लगातार रात दिन इसका प्रसारण किया। किसी भी आंदोलन की ताकत या समाज पर पड़ने वाले उसके दूरगामी परिणामों का आकलन मात्र इस बात से नहीं किया जा सकता कि उसमें लाखों लोगों ने शिरकत की। अगर ऐसा होता तो जयप्रकाश नारायण के आंदोलन से लेकर रामजन्मभूमि आंदोलन, विश्वनाथ प्रताप सिंह का बोफोर्स को केंद्र में रखते हुए भ्रष्टाचार विरोधी आंदोलन, मंडल आयोग की रिपोर्ट पर आरक्षण विरोधी आंदोलन जैसे पिछले 30-35 वर्षों के दौरान हुए ऐसे आंदोलनों में लाखों की संख्या में लोगों की हिस्सेदारी रही। किसी भी आंदोलन का समाज को आगे ले जाने या पीछे ढकेलने में सफल/असफल होना इस बात पर निर्भर करता है कि उस आंदोलन को नेतृत्व देने वाले कौन लोग हैं और उनका ‘विजन’ क्या है? अब तक भ्रष्टाचार विरोधी आंदोलन को सत्ता तक पहुंचने की सीढ़ी बना कर जनभावनाओं का दोहन किया जाता रहा है। अण्णा के व्यक्तित्व की यह खूबी है कि इस खतरे से लोग निश्चिंत हैं। उन्हें पता है कि रालेगण सिद्धि के इस फकीरनुमा आदमी को सत्ता नहीं चाहिए।
अण्णा का आंदोलन अतीत के इन आंदोलनों से गुणात्मक तौर पर भिन्न है क्योंकि आने वाले दिनों में भारतीय समाज में बदलाव के लिए संघर्षरत शक्तियों के बीच यह ध्रुवीकरण का काम करेगा। किसी भी हालत में इस आंदोलन के मुकाबले देश की वामपंथी क्रांतिकारी शक्तियां न तो लोगों को जुटा सकती हैं और न इतने लंबे समय तक टिका सकती हैं जितने लंबे समय तक अण्णा हजारे रामलीला मैदान में टिके रहे। इसकी सीधी वजह यह है कि यह व्यवस्था आंदोलन के मूल चरित्र के अनुसार तय करती है कि उसे उस आंदोलन के प्रति किस तरह का सुलूक करना है। मीडिया भी इसी आधार पर निर्णय लेता है। आप कल्पना करें कि क्या अगर किसी चैनल का मालिक न चाहे तो उसके पत्रकार या कैमरामेन लगातार अण्णा का कवरेज कर सकते थे? क्या कारपोरेट घराने अपनी जड़ खोदने वाले किसी आंदोलन को इस तरह मदद करते या समर्थन का संदेश देते जैसा अण्णा के साथ हुआ? भारत सरकार के गृहमंत्रालय की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार पिछले तीन वर्षों में यहां के एनजीओ सेक्टर को 40 हजार करोड़ रुपये मिले हैं- उसी एनजीओ सेक्टर को जिससे टीम अन्ना के प्रमुख सदस्य अरविंद केजरीवाल, मनीष सिसोदिया, किरन बेदी, संदीप पांडे, स्वामी अग्निवेश जैसे लोग घनिष्ठ/अघनिष्ठ रूप से जुड़े/बिछड़े रहे हैं। इस सारी जमात को उस व्यवस्था से ही यह लाभ मिल रहा है जिसमें सडांध फैलती जा रही है, जो मृत्यु का इंतजार कर रही है और जिसे दफनाने के लिए देश के विभिन्न हिस्सों में उत्पीड़ित जनता संघर्षरत है। आज इस व्यवस्था का एक उद्धारक दिखायी दे रहा है। वह भले ही 74 साल का क्यों न हो, नायकविहीन दौर में उसे जिंदा रखना जरूरी है।
क्या इस तथ्य को बार बार रेखांकित करने की जरूरत है कि भ्रष्टाचार का मूल स्रोत सरकार की नवउदारवादी आर्थिक नीतियां हैं? इन नीतियों ने ही पिछले 20-22 वर्षों में इस देश में एक तरफ तो कुछ लोगों को अरबपति बनाया और दूसरी तरफ बड़ी संख्या में मेहनतकश लोगों को लगातार हाशिये पर ठेल दिया। इन नीतियों ने कारपोरेट घरानों के लिए अपार संभावनाओं का द्वार खोल दिया और जल, जंगल, जमीन पर गुजर बसर करने वालों को अभूतपूर्व पैमाने पर विस्थापित किया और प्रतिरोध करने पर उनका सफाया कर दिया। इन नीतियों की ही बदौलत आज मीडिया को इतनी ताकत मिल गयी कि वह सत्ता समीकरण का एक मुख्य घटक हो गया। जिन लोगों को इन नीतियों से लगातार लाभ मिल रहा है वे भला क्यों चाहेंगे कि ये नीतियां समाप्त हों। इन नीतियों के खिलाफ देश के विभिन्न हिस्सों में जो उथल-पुथल चल रही है उससे सत्ताधारी वर्ग के होश उड़े हुए हैं। ऐसे में अगर कोई ऐसा व्यक्ति सामने आता है जिसका जीवन निष्कलंक हो, जिसके अंदर सत्ता का लोभ न दिखायी देता हो और जो ऐसे संघर्ष को नेतृत्व दे रहा हो जिसका मकसद समस्या की जड़ पर प्रहार करना न हो तो उसे यह व्यवस्था हाथों हाथ लेगी क्योंकि उसके लिए इससे बड़ा उद्धारक कोई नहीं हो सकता। अण्णा की गिरफ्तारी, रिहाई, अनशन स्थल को लेकर विवाद आदि राजनीतिक फायदे-नुकसान के आकलन में लगे सत्ताधारी वर्ग के आपसी अंतर्विरोध की वजह से सामने आते रहे हैं। इनकी वजह से मूल मुद्दे पर कोई फर्क नहीं पड़ता।
अण्णा के आंदोलन ने स्वतंत्रता संघर्ष के दौरान गांधीजी द्वारा चलाये गये सत्याग्रहों और आंदोलनों की उन लोगों को याद दिला दी जिन्होंने तस्वीरों या फिल्मों के माध्यम से उस आंदोलन को देखा था। गांधी के समय भी एक दूसरी धारा थी जो गांधी के दर्शन का विरोध करती थी और जिसका नेतृत्व भगत सिंह करते थे। जहां तक विचारों का सवाल है भगत सिंह के विचार गांधी से काफी आगे थे। भगत सिंह ने 1928-30 में ही कह दिया था कि गांधी के तरीके से हम जो आजादी हासिल करेंगे उसमें गोरे अंग्रेजों की जगह काले अंग्रेज सत्ता पर काबिज हो जायेंगे क्योंकि व्यवस्था में कोई परिवर्तन नहीं होगा। तकरीबन 80 साल बाद रामलीला मैदान से अण्णा हजारे को भी यही बात कहनी पड़ी कि गोरे अंग्रेज चले गये पर काले अंग्रेजों का शासन है। इन सबके बावजूद भगत सिंह के मुकाबले गांधी को उस समय के मीडिया ने और उस समय की व्यवस्था ने जबर्दस्त ‘स्पेस’ दिया। वह तो टीआरपी का जमाना भी नहीं था क्योंकि टेलीविजन का अभी आविष्कार ही नहीं हुआ था। तो भी शहीद सुखदेव ने चंद्रशेखर आजाद को लिखे एक पत्र में इस बात पर दुःख प्रकट किया है कि मीडिया हमारे बयानों को नहीं छापता है और हम अपनी आवाज जनता तक नहीं पहुंचा पाते हैं। जब भी व्यवस्था में आमूल परिवर्तन करने वाली ताकतें सर उठाती हैं तो उन्हें वहीं खामोश करने की कोशिश होती है। अगर आप अंदर के रोग से मरणासन्न व्यवस्था को बचाने की कोई भी कोशिश करते हुए दिखायी देते हैं तो यह व्यवस्था आपके लिए हर सुविधा मुहैया करने को तत्पर मिलेगी।
अण्णा हजारे ने 28 अगस्त को दिन में साढ़े दस बजे अनशन तोड़ने के बाद रामलीला मैदान से जो भाषण दिया उससे आने वाले दिनों के उनके एजेंडा का पता चलता है। एक कुशल राजनीतिज्ञ की तरह उन्होंने उन सारे मुद्दों को भविष्य में उठाने की बात कही है जो सतही तौर पर व्यवस्था परिवर्तन की लड़ाई का आभास देंगे लेकिन बुनियादी तौर पर वे लड़ाइयां शासन प्रणाली को और चुस्त-दुरुस्त करके इस व्यवस्था को पहले के मुकाबले कहीं ज्यादा टिकाऊ, दमनकारी और मजबूत बना सकेंगी। अण्णा का आंदोलन 28 अगस्त को समाप्त नहीं हुआ बल्कि उस दिन से ही इसकी शुरुआत हुई है। रामलीला मैदान से गुड़गांव के अस्पताल जाते समय उनकी एंबुलेंस के आगे सुरक्षा में लगी पुलिस और पीछे पल पल की रिपोर्टिंग के लिए बेताब कैमरों से दीवाल पर लिखी इबारत को पढ़ा जा सकता है। व्यवस्था के शस्त्रागार से यह एक नया हथियार सामने आया है जो व्यवस्था बदलने की लड़ाई में लगे लोगों के लिए आने वाले दिनों में एक बहुत बड़ी चुनौती खड़ी करेगा।
आनंद स्वरूप वर्मा
29 August 2011
by Dilip Mandal on Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 1:12pm
समकालीन तीसरी दुनिया / अगस्त- सितम्बर 2011 का संपादकीय
आनंद स्वरूप वर्मा
जो लोग यह मानते रहे हैं और लोगों को बताते रहे हैं कि पूंजीवादी और साम्राज्यवादी लूट पर टिकी यह व्यवस्था सड़ गल चुकी है और इसे नष्ट किये बिना आम आदमी की बेहतरी संभव नहीं है उनके बरक्स अण्णा हजारे ने एक हद तक सफलतापूर्वक यह दिखाने की कोशिश की कि यह व्यवस्था ही आम आदमी को बदहाली से बचा सकती है बशर्ते इसमें कुछ सुधार कर दिया जाय। व्यवस्था के जनविरोधी चरित्र से जिन लोगों का मोहभंग हो रहा था उस पर अण्णा ने एक ब्रेक लगाया है। अण्णा ने सत्ताधारी वर्ग के लिए आक्सीजन का काम किया है और उस आक्सीजन सिलेंडर को ढोने के लिए उन्हीं लोगों के कंधों का इस्तेमाल किया है जो सत्ताधारी वर्ग के शोषण के शिकार हैं। उन्हें नहीं पता है कि वे उसी निजाम को बचाने की कवायद में तन-मन-धन से जुट गये जिसने उनकी जिंदगी को बदहाल किया। देश के विभिन्न हिस्सों में चल रहे जुझारू संघर्षों की ताप से झुलस रहे सत्ताधारियों को अण्णा ने बहुत बड़ी राहत पहुंचाई है। शासन की बागडोर किसके हाथ में हो इस मुद्दे पर सत्ताधारी वर्ग के विभिन्न गुटों के बीच चलती खींचतान से आम जनता का भ्रमित होना स्वाभाविक है पर जहां तक इस वर्ग के उद्धारक की साख बनाये रखने की बात है, विभिन्न गुटों के बीच अद्भुत एकता है। यह एकता 27 अगस्त को छुट्टी के दिन लोकसभा की विशेष बैठक में देखने को मिली जब कांग्रेस के प्रणव मुखर्जी और भाजपा की सुषमा स्वराज दोनों के सुर एक हो गये और उससे जो संगीत उपजा उसने रामलीला मैदान में एक नयी लहर पैदा कर दी। सदन में शरद यादव के भाषण से सबक लेते हुए अगले दिन अपना अनशन समाप्त करते समय अण्णा ने बाबा साहेब आंबेडकर को तो याद ही किया, अनशन तोड़ते समय जूस पिलाने के लिए दलित वर्ग और मुस्लिम समुदाय से दो बच्चों को चुना।
अण्णा हजारे का 13 दिनों का यह आंदोलन भारत के इतिहास की एक अभूतपूर्व और युगांतरकारी घटना के रूप में रेखांकित किया जाएगा। इसलिए नहीं कि उसमें लाखों लोगों की भागीदारी रही या टीवी चैनलों ने लगातार रात दिन इसका प्रसारण किया। किसी भी आंदोलन की ताकत या समाज पर पड़ने वाले उसके दूरगामी परिणामों का आकलन मात्र इस बात से नहीं किया जा सकता कि उसमें लाखों लोगों ने शिरकत की। अगर ऐसा होता तो जयप्रकाश नारायण के आंदोलन से लेकर रामजन्मभूमि आंदोलन, विश्वनाथ प्रताप सिंह का बोफोर्स को केंद्र में रखते हुए भ्रष्टाचार विरोधी आंदोलन, मंडल आयोग की रिपोर्ट पर आरक्षण विरोधी आंदोलन जैसे पिछले 30-35 वर्षों के दौरान हुए ऐसे आंदोलनों में लाखों की संख्या में लोगों की हिस्सेदारी रही। किसी भी आंदोलन का समाज को आगे ले जाने या पीछे ढकेलने में सफल/असफल होना इस बात पर निर्भर करता है कि उस आंदोलन को नेतृत्व देने वाले कौन लोग हैं और उनका ‘विजन’ क्या है? अब तक भ्रष्टाचार विरोधी आंदोलन को सत्ता तक पहुंचने की सीढ़ी बना कर जनभावनाओं का दोहन किया जाता रहा है। अण्णा के व्यक्तित्व की यह खूबी है कि इस खतरे से लोग निश्चिंत हैं। उन्हें पता है कि रालेगण सिद्धि के इस फकीरनुमा आदमी को सत्ता नहीं चाहिए।
अण्णा का आंदोलन अतीत के इन आंदोलनों से गुणात्मक तौर पर भिन्न है क्योंकि आने वाले दिनों में भारतीय समाज में बदलाव के लिए संघर्षरत शक्तियों के बीच यह ध्रुवीकरण का काम करेगा। किसी भी हालत में इस आंदोलन के मुकाबले देश की वामपंथी क्रांतिकारी शक्तियां न तो लोगों को जुटा सकती हैं और न इतने लंबे समय तक टिका सकती हैं जितने लंबे समय तक अण्णा हजारे रामलीला मैदान में टिके रहे। इसकी सीधी वजह यह है कि यह व्यवस्था आंदोलन के मूल चरित्र के अनुसार तय करती है कि उसे उस आंदोलन के प्रति किस तरह का सुलूक करना है। मीडिया भी इसी आधार पर निर्णय लेता है। आप कल्पना करें कि क्या अगर किसी चैनल का मालिक न चाहे तो उसके पत्रकार या कैमरामेन लगातार अण्णा का कवरेज कर सकते थे? क्या कारपोरेट घराने अपनी जड़ खोदने वाले किसी आंदोलन को इस तरह मदद करते या समर्थन का संदेश देते जैसा अण्णा के साथ हुआ? भारत सरकार के गृहमंत्रालय की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार पिछले तीन वर्षों में यहां के एनजीओ सेक्टर को 40 हजार करोड़ रुपये मिले हैं- उसी एनजीओ सेक्टर को जिससे टीम अन्ना के प्रमुख सदस्य अरविंद केजरीवाल, मनीष सिसोदिया, किरन बेदी, संदीप पांडे, स्वामी अग्निवेश जैसे लोग घनिष्ठ/अघनिष्ठ रूप से जुड़े/बिछड़े रहे हैं। इस सारी जमात को उस व्यवस्था से ही यह लाभ मिल रहा है जिसमें सडांध फैलती जा रही है, जो मृत्यु का इंतजार कर रही है और जिसे दफनाने के लिए देश के विभिन्न हिस्सों में उत्पीड़ित जनता संघर्षरत है। आज इस व्यवस्था का एक उद्धारक दिखायी दे रहा है। वह भले ही 74 साल का क्यों न हो, नायकविहीन दौर में उसे जिंदा रखना जरूरी है।
क्या इस तथ्य को बार बार रेखांकित करने की जरूरत है कि भ्रष्टाचार का मूल स्रोत सरकार की नवउदारवादी आर्थिक नीतियां हैं? इन नीतियों ने ही पिछले 20-22 वर्षों में इस देश में एक तरफ तो कुछ लोगों को अरबपति बनाया और दूसरी तरफ बड़ी संख्या में मेहनतकश लोगों को लगातार हाशिये पर ठेल दिया। इन नीतियों ने कारपोरेट घरानों के लिए अपार संभावनाओं का द्वार खोल दिया और जल, जंगल, जमीन पर गुजर बसर करने वालों को अभूतपूर्व पैमाने पर विस्थापित किया और प्रतिरोध करने पर उनका सफाया कर दिया। इन नीतियों की ही बदौलत आज मीडिया को इतनी ताकत मिल गयी कि वह सत्ता समीकरण का एक मुख्य घटक हो गया। जिन लोगों को इन नीतियों से लगातार लाभ मिल रहा है वे भला क्यों चाहेंगे कि ये नीतियां समाप्त हों। इन नीतियों के खिलाफ देश के विभिन्न हिस्सों में जो उथल-पुथल चल रही है उससे सत्ताधारी वर्ग के होश उड़े हुए हैं। ऐसे में अगर कोई ऐसा व्यक्ति सामने आता है जिसका जीवन निष्कलंक हो, जिसके अंदर सत्ता का लोभ न दिखायी देता हो और जो ऐसे संघर्ष को नेतृत्व दे रहा हो जिसका मकसद समस्या की जड़ पर प्रहार करना न हो तो उसे यह व्यवस्था हाथों हाथ लेगी क्योंकि उसके लिए इससे बड़ा उद्धारक कोई नहीं हो सकता। अण्णा की गिरफ्तारी, रिहाई, अनशन स्थल को लेकर विवाद आदि राजनीतिक फायदे-नुकसान के आकलन में लगे सत्ताधारी वर्ग के आपसी अंतर्विरोध की वजह से सामने आते रहे हैं। इनकी वजह से मूल मुद्दे पर कोई फर्क नहीं पड़ता।
अण्णा के आंदोलन ने स्वतंत्रता संघर्ष के दौरान गांधीजी द्वारा चलाये गये सत्याग्रहों और आंदोलनों की उन लोगों को याद दिला दी जिन्होंने तस्वीरों या फिल्मों के माध्यम से उस आंदोलन को देखा था। गांधी के समय भी एक दूसरी धारा थी जो गांधी के दर्शन का विरोध करती थी और जिसका नेतृत्व भगत सिंह करते थे। जहां तक विचारों का सवाल है भगत सिंह के विचार गांधी से काफी आगे थे। भगत सिंह ने 1928-30 में ही कह दिया था कि गांधी के तरीके से हम जो आजादी हासिल करेंगे उसमें गोरे अंग्रेजों की जगह काले अंग्रेज सत्ता पर काबिज हो जायेंगे क्योंकि व्यवस्था में कोई परिवर्तन नहीं होगा। तकरीबन 80 साल बाद रामलीला मैदान से अण्णा हजारे को भी यही बात कहनी पड़ी कि गोरे अंग्रेज चले गये पर काले अंग्रेजों का शासन है। इन सबके बावजूद भगत सिंह के मुकाबले गांधी को उस समय के मीडिया ने और उस समय की व्यवस्था ने जबर्दस्त ‘स्पेस’ दिया। वह तो टीआरपी का जमाना भी नहीं था क्योंकि टेलीविजन का अभी आविष्कार ही नहीं हुआ था। तो भी शहीद सुखदेव ने चंद्रशेखर आजाद को लिखे एक पत्र में इस बात पर दुःख प्रकट किया है कि मीडिया हमारे बयानों को नहीं छापता है और हम अपनी आवाज जनता तक नहीं पहुंचा पाते हैं। जब भी व्यवस्था में आमूल परिवर्तन करने वाली ताकतें सर उठाती हैं तो उन्हें वहीं खामोश करने की कोशिश होती है। अगर आप अंदर के रोग से मरणासन्न व्यवस्था को बचाने की कोई भी कोशिश करते हुए दिखायी देते हैं तो यह व्यवस्था आपके लिए हर सुविधा मुहैया करने को तत्पर मिलेगी।
अण्णा हजारे ने 28 अगस्त को दिन में साढ़े दस बजे अनशन तोड़ने के बाद रामलीला मैदान से जो भाषण दिया उससे आने वाले दिनों के उनके एजेंडा का पता चलता है। एक कुशल राजनीतिज्ञ की तरह उन्होंने उन सारे मुद्दों को भविष्य में उठाने की बात कही है जो सतही तौर पर व्यवस्था परिवर्तन की लड़ाई का आभास देंगे लेकिन बुनियादी तौर पर वे लड़ाइयां शासन प्रणाली को और चुस्त-दुरुस्त करके इस व्यवस्था को पहले के मुकाबले कहीं ज्यादा टिकाऊ, दमनकारी और मजबूत बना सकेंगी। अण्णा का आंदोलन 28 अगस्त को समाप्त नहीं हुआ बल्कि उस दिन से ही इसकी शुरुआत हुई है। रामलीला मैदान से गुड़गांव के अस्पताल जाते समय उनकी एंबुलेंस के आगे सुरक्षा में लगी पुलिस और पीछे पल पल की रिपोर्टिंग के लिए बेताब कैमरों से दीवाल पर लिखी इबारत को पढ़ा जा सकता है। व्यवस्था के शस्त्रागार से यह एक नया हथियार सामने आया है जो व्यवस्था बदलने की लड़ाई में लगे लोगों के लिए आने वाले दिनों में एक बहुत बड़ी चुनौती खड़ी करेगा।
आनंद स्वरूप वर्मा
29 August 2011
Mother of all beginnings-when the entire country is captured in the throes of 'Anna fever',me wanting to write a blog on motherhood seems almostsenile
Mother of all beginnings/And when someone looks at the child and says, "You are well brought up! Who's your mother?," we have received our medal of honour./Good Parenting can resolve all kind of problems exists in a Soociety including CORRUPTION...THIS IS WHAT I HAVE ALSO WRITTEN ABOUT RIGHT PARENTING OR UPBRINGING AFTER RIOTS IN LONDON...VT)
IBNLive
Beginnings!
At a time when the entire country is captured in the throes of 'Anna fever', me wanting to write a blog on motherhood seems almost senile, even self-indulgent perhaps. But ask another mother and I bet my last penny, she will welcome the thought.
After all nothing quite shakes and stirs a woman's world as much as the arrival of a new baby. No, not even team Anna nor the implementation or rejection of the 'Lokpal Bill.' In fact, I strongly believe that more the mothers, lesser the corruption anyways. After all don't we all believe that mothers are the epitome of love, selflessness, goodness and large heartedness?
I, for one strongly believe that motherhood makes a better person out of you. You stop being selfish, you don't lie so that your kid doesn't pick it up, you don't bitch about neighbours lest your child goes and repeats your golden words to them, you become environment friendly to leave a better environment for your baby, you stop smoking thus giving yourself the gift of good health, you eat better, you live better, you try and follow the ethics and morals your parents taught you, in short, you try to become a role model in every sense of the word, just so that your kid apes you and does the same.
After all the biggest responsibility in this world is to be responsible for another human being. You are responsible for someone else's actions, in this case, your baby. And that's a pretty daunting task to live up to. No mother in a child's growing up years teaches him to be a rapist or a thief yet when a particular individual grows up to be one, his mother is blamed for it.
His upbringing is questioned, his values and ethics analysed. You barely have stepped out of the delivery room and a little cuddly baby is thrust in your arms. While you are surfacing from the aftermath of a particularly long labour, you are told that it's our duty to make this baby live. If it doesn't eat, it's your problem, if it doesn't sleep, you are at the receiving end and if it is sick, you are dead, literally.
And you have no idea how you are going to scrape through. But you do survive and how!
There is no school for motherhood. You can train to be a journalist, a pilot, a doctor, just about anything. But no one can teach you how to be a good mother. Its something you figure out en route. With some help from your bundle of joy.
There is plenty of room for trials and errors and most often, 99 out of 100 get it right. We mothers, for lack of any training do a pretty good job of bringing up a child, day in and day out, 24/7. We err, stumble, get nervous, worry, cry but ultimately manage to hold our head high and survive.
And when someone looks at the child and says, "You are well brought up! Who's your mother?," we have received our medal of honour. Our eyes brim with tears, our lips tremble and our chests swell with pride. Catch a mother seeing her two year old on stage, however awkward and gawky. If that doesn't melt your heart, nothing will.
The nation is going ga ga over Anna. No problems with that. But lets take a moment to salute his mother. The mother who made sure he turned out so, long before he could say the word 'Corruption'. Mothers, you have my salutations! You do a job far important than all the ones in the world without the perks and the prizes, the adulations and the limelight. All you wish for is your baby to grow up well and that's your nirvana. How sublime!
May the motherhood mania keep you rocking.
IBNLive
Beginnings!
At a time when the entire country is captured in the throes of 'Anna fever', me wanting to write a blog on motherhood seems almost senile, even self-indulgent perhaps. But ask another mother and I bet my last penny, she will welcome the thought.
After all nothing quite shakes and stirs a woman's world as much as the arrival of a new baby. No, not even team Anna nor the implementation or rejection of the 'Lokpal Bill.' In fact, I strongly believe that more the mothers, lesser the corruption anyways. After all don't we all believe that mothers are the epitome of love, selflessness, goodness and large heartedness?
I, for one strongly believe that motherhood makes a better person out of you. You stop being selfish, you don't lie so that your kid doesn't pick it up, you don't bitch about neighbours lest your child goes and repeats your golden words to them, you become environment friendly to leave a better environment for your baby, you stop smoking thus giving yourself the gift of good health, you eat better, you live better, you try and follow the ethics and morals your parents taught you, in short, you try to become a role model in every sense of the word, just so that your kid apes you and does the same.
After all the biggest responsibility in this world is to be responsible for another human being. You are responsible for someone else's actions, in this case, your baby. And that's a pretty daunting task to live up to. No mother in a child's growing up years teaches him to be a rapist or a thief yet when a particular individual grows up to be one, his mother is blamed for it.
His upbringing is questioned, his values and ethics analysed. You barely have stepped out of the delivery room and a little cuddly baby is thrust in your arms. While you are surfacing from the aftermath of a particularly long labour, you are told that it's our duty to make this baby live. If it doesn't eat, it's your problem, if it doesn't sleep, you are at the receiving end and if it is sick, you are dead, literally.
And you have no idea how you are going to scrape through. But you do survive and how!
There is no school for motherhood. You can train to be a journalist, a pilot, a doctor, just about anything. But no one can teach you how to be a good mother. Its something you figure out en route. With some help from your bundle of joy.
There is plenty of room for trials and errors and most often, 99 out of 100 get it right. We mothers, for lack of any training do a pretty good job of bringing up a child, day in and day out, 24/7. We err, stumble, get nervous, worry, cry but ultimately manage to hold our head high and survive.
And when someone looks at the child and says, "You are well brought up! Who's your mother?," we have received our medal of honour. Our eyes brim with tears, our lips tremble and our chests swell with pride. Catch a mother seeing her two year old on stage, however awkward and gawky. If that doesn't melt your heart, nothing will.
The nation is going ga ga over Anna. No problems with that. But lets take a moment to salute his mother. The mother who made sure he turned out so, long before he could say the word 'Corruption'. Mothers, you have my salutations! You do a job far important than all the ones in the world without the perks and the prizes, the adulations and the limelight. All you wish for is your baby to grow up well and that's your nirvana. How sublime!
May the motherhood mania keep you rocking.
26/11 might have led to Indo-Pak N-war: ex-US envoy Roemer-Recall experience in India
26/11 might have led to Indo-Pak N-war: ex-US envoy Roemer
Press Trust Of India
Washington, September 01, 2011
The 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack by the banned Pakistani militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) almost started a war between India and Pakistan that might have resulted in some kind of nuclear conflict, former US Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer has said.
Roemer, who served as the
22nd US ambassador to India from July 2009 to June 2011, however did not divulge any further details of his conclusion that 26/11 could have led to a nuclear war between the two South Asian neighbours.
"Those attacks killed 177 people in Mumbai two years ago. Six Americans were killed. And they almost started a war between Pakistan and India that might have resulted in some kind of a nuclear war. So this self-radicalization issue is a critically important one," Roemer said on Wednesday at a discussion on Status of National Security and the Implementation of the 9/11 Commission's Recommendations.
The former US envoy, a member of the 9/11 National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States set up in 2002, said he feared a scenario in which a terrorist group gets hold of nuclear weapon and an undetected self-radicalized or a cell in the United States.
"We're often asked a question, I think every one of us: What keeps you awake at night? And I would answer the question, two things: a terrorist group getting a nuclear weapon and a self-radicalized or a cell in the United States that is undetected and can pull off a catastrophic event here," Roemer said.
"Now, several months ago we had something that almost combined both. There was a person by the name of David Headley who was a terrorist living in Chicago who could travel between India, Pakistan and the United States seamlessly. And he was the guy that planned -- helped plan the attacks on Mumbai," he said in response to a question.
Recall experience in India
Press Trust Of India
Washington, September 01, 2011
The 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack by the banned Pakistani militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) almost started a war between India and Pakistan that might have resulted in some kind of nuclear conflict, former US Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer has said.
Roemer, who served as the
22nd US ambassador to India from July 2009 to June 2011, however did not divulge any further details of his conclusion that 26/11 could have led to a nuclear war between the two South Asian neighbours.
"Those attacks killed 177 people in Mumbai two years ago. Six Americans were killed. And they almost started a war between Pakistan and India that might have resulted in some kind of a nuclear war. So this self-radicalization issue is a critically important one," Roemer said on Wednesday at a discussion on Status of National Security and the Implementation of the 9/11 Commission's Recommendations.
The former US envoy, a member of the 9/11 National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States set up in 2002, said he feared a scenario in which a terrorist group gets hold of nuclear weapon and an undetected self-radicalized or a cell in the United States.
"We're often asked a question, I think every one of us: What keeps you awake at night? And I would answer the question, two things: a terrorist group getting a nuclear weapon and a self-radicalized or a cell in the United States that is undetected and can pull off a catastrophic event here," Roemer said.
"Now, several months ago we had something that almost combined both. There was a person by the name of David Headley who was a terrorist living in Chicago who could travel between India, Pakistan and the United States seamlessly. And he was the guy that planned -- helped plan the attacks on Mumbai," he said in response to a question.
Recall experience in India
Sports revamp: Learning and looking beyond cricket-this is the time to act or else we will just sit with 1 Olympic Gold medal for the next 50yrs2/8/11
Sports revamp: Learning and looking beyond cricket
IBNLive
The latest frenzy in news circles has been the state of sports affairs in the country. Well, in our country sports seems to be defined by the game that the colonial masters taught us how to play. Sport in this country has come to such a point that the only valid point of discussion that I see is the effect the new bill has on the BCCI. The biggest issue is that we have trivialized our sporting breadth to such a narrow stream of one sport drama; the debate should be wider and more inclusive, here's why:
Firstly, how many of you know who Mary Kom is? Don't Google, don't look at Twitter, don't look at Facebook, just answer me right here right now. Well, if you thought she was a Chinese national or someone you have "heard" of somewhere, get this in your head; she is an Indian who is a five time Boxing World Champion. Most of us in our country, including myself, do not have the breadth in understanding the range of sporting excellence that the world has to offer. Sporting youngsters are either streamlined to the narrow path of Cricket or they are told "sports wont take you anywhere, so please go and live a bull's life in a IT office" by their parents. Youngsters do not want to indulge in other sports because
a) they are not aware of some of them in detail
b) they feel other professional sports are not financially rewarding in the long run.
c) they are not encouraged to take the risk forward.
The sports "change" in this country needs to first address the first issue, of knowledge and awareness for sports. At the grassroots level, the sports establishment needs to have a mechanism(s) in place which identifies talent at a very young age and develops them through the course of time, very much like how the Americans and Chinese do. This would ensure that the youngsters are given wide knowledge in various sports so that they are given an opportunity to explore the boundaries beyond the narrow path of popular sports. Next in line would be the funding/money which drives the people towards sports and here is where the inclusiveness needs to be adopted.
The fact of the matter is the BCCI is the top earning Cricketing body, it is the most powerful and in fact it tops even global rankings in terms of the revenue that they create. Another fact remains is that the BCCI has expounded in growth only in the last 6 years or so. Before this era they had money but not of this proportion, so they have to be doing something right. The masterminds at BCCI over the decades have actually packaged cricket in such a way that it caters to the masses. The popularity of Cricket, besides its larger than life cricketers, is due to the marketing acumen of people at the BCCI. They had the ability to bring in the concept of commercial and TV revenue to the core of sporting money, they had the vision to evolve at the right times. When there was a hint of saturation of Indian cricket's popularity, they threw a blockbuster like IPL that drove the game right into the heart of the Indian household. Bottom line is they are good at what they do (how much ever I try to be cynical), so the best thing would be to make use of their talents. Sports officials should adopt an inclusive approach to the positives of the BCCI story. They need to instill within the proposed changes about inter learning between federations. For example, they could create a platform where all the other federations can learn from the BCCI by bringing them into the fold and spreading the message across to major Olympic sports of unearthing their own funding potential. Being the mammoth giant that BCCI is, I don't think there would be an issue if they shared some of their insights to other sports and I do think they would actually oblige towards it.
Once the funding aspect of sports is actually sorted, more and more youngsters would be willing to take the risk to plunge forward. People would find the motivation and the confidence to overcome obstacles because they would start believing in the financial backing that their sports can offer. They would also start to believe that they get due recognition for their achievements in a more national platform.
There is no doubt that the age limit of 70 and the inclusion of 25 percent of players as representatives is a very progressive notion. There is no doubt that the current change proposed is a very positive one and much better than anything proposed in the era before. There is also no doubt that there should be more transparency within the largest sporting empire in this country. There is also no doubt that the smarter approach should be not necessarily confrontational but being accommodative keeping core values intact.
However, the biggest challenge is to strike a balance between learning from and looking beyond BCCI. This would ensure that we look at the broader Olympic sports restructuring that is required to widen knowledge, enhance revenue and evolve as a sporting powerhouse in the years to come. Ironically, the positives of the BCCI story can be the fulcrum for the restructuring the Olympic sports which is the barometer for any countries sporting success.
After all, this is the time to act or else we will just sit with 1 Olympic Gold medal for the next 50 years.
IBNLive
The latest frenzy in news circles has been the state of sports affairs in the country. Well, in our country sports seems to be defined by the game that the colonial masters taught us how to play. Sport in this country has come to such a point that the only valid point of discussion that I see is the effect the new bill has on the BCCI. The biggest issue is that we have trivialized our sporting breadth to such a narrow stream of one sport drama; the debate should be wider and more inclusive, here's why:
Firstly, how many of you know who Mary Kom is? Don't Google, don't look at Twitter, don't look at Facebook, just answer me right here right now. Well, if you thought she was a Chinese national or someone you have "heard" of somewhere, get this in your head; she is an Indian who is a five time Boxing World Champion. Most of us in our country, including myself, do not have the breadth in understanding the range of sporting excellence that the world has to offer. Sporting youngsters are either streamlined to the narrow path of Cricket or they are told "sports wont take you anywhere, so please go and live a bull's life in a IT office" by their parents. Youngsters do not want to indulge in other sports because
a) they are not aware of some of them in detail
b) they feel other professional sports are not financially rewarding in the long run.
c) they are not encouraged to take the risk forward.
The sports "change" in this country needs to first address the first issue, of knowledge and awareness for sports. At the grassroots level, the sports establishment needs to have a mechanism(s) in place which identifies talent at a very young age and develops them through the course of time, very much like how the Americans and Chinese do. This would ensure that the youngsters are given wide knowledge in various sports so that they are given an opportunity to explore the boundaries beyond the narrow path of popular sports. Next in line would be the funding/money which drives the people towards sports and here is where the inclusiveness needs to be adopted.
The fact of the matter is the BCCI is the top earning Cricketing body, it is the most powerful and in fact it tops even global rankings in terms of the revenue that they create. Another fact remains is that the BCCI has expounded in growth only in the last 6 years or so. Before this era they had money but not of this proportion, so they have to be doing something right. The masterminds at BCCI over the decades have actually packaged cricket in such a way that it caters to the masses. The popularity of Cricket, besides its larger than life cricketers, is due to the marketing acumen of people at the BCCI. They had the ability to bring in the concept of commercial and TV revenue to the core of sporting money, they had the vision to evolve at the right times. When there was a hint of saturation of Indian cricket's popularity, they threw a blockbuster like IPL that drove the game right into the heart of the Indian household. Bottom line is they are good at what they do (how much ever I try to be cynical), so the best thing would be to make use of their talents. Sports officials should adopt an inclusive approach to the positives of the BCCI story. They need to instill within the proposed changes about inter learning between federations. For example, they could create a platform where all the other federations can learn from the BCCI by bringing them into the fold and spreading the message across to major Olympic sports of unearthing their own funding potential. Being the mammoth giant that BCCI is, I don't think there would be an issue if they shared some of their insights to other sports and I do think they would actually oblige towards it.
Once the funding aspect of sports is actually sorted, more and more youngsters would be willing to take the risk to plunge forward. People would find the motivation and the confidence to overcome obstacles because they would start believing in the financial backing that their sports can offer. They would also start to believe that they get due recognition for their achievements in a more national platform.
There is no doubt that the age limit of 70 and the inclusion of 25 percent of players as representatives is a very progressive notion. There is no doubt that the current change proposed is a very positive one and much better than anything proposed in the era before. There is also no doubt that there should be more transparency within the largest sporting empire in this country. There is also no doubt that the smarter approach should be not necessarily confrontational but being accommodative keeping core values intact.
However, the biggest challenge is to strike a balance between learning from and looking beyond BCCI. This would ensure that we look at the broader Olympic sports restructuring that is required to widen knowledge, enhance revenue and evolve as a sporting powerhouse in the years to come. Ironically, the positives of the BCCI story can be the fulcrum for the restructuring the Olympic sports which is the barometer for any countries sporting success.
After all, this is the time to act or else we will just sit with 1 Olympic Gold medal for the next 50 years.
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